Individuals become bed-ridden for several different reasons. A person may be bed-ridden for a temporary time period while healing from an accident or illness. A person may also be bed-ridden for a more prolonged time period or even a time period of indefinite duration because of a serious illness. In either case, care must be taken to prevent the formation of decubital ulcers, commonly referred to as pressure sores or bed sores. The ulcers tend to form on bony areas of the body which make constant or near constant contact with a bed surface. For example, an individual's heels, ankles, and elbows are bony areas with a minimal amount of fleshy protective covering.
The heel and ankle of a bed-ridden individual in particular are susceptible to the formation of decubital ulcers. The individual lying on his back or side will cause the heels and ankles to be in constant contact with a bed surface. Natural foot movements of such an individual over time only aggravate the situation.
Decubital ulcers have been a source of discomfort to many people. Once formed, they are hard to heal. Various ointments and salves have been developed specifically for decubital ulcers. Various foot prop articles designed to prevent the formation of the ulcers or at least alleviate the discomfort associated with the ulcers have also been developed. Most of the known articles have varied means to suspend the foot of a bed-ridden individual off a bed surface. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,511,233, 4,076,022, 4,197,845, 4,266,298, 4,409,975, 5,085,214, 5,328,445 and 5,449,339 all contain descriptions of products which were designed to suspend a heel off a hard or abrasive surface. None of the disclosed products meet all the needs of a anti-decubital ulcer product which is economical to produce, easy to use, cleanable for reuse and, most importantly, effective for its intended use.
There has now been developed an orthotic cushioned article for use by bed-ridden individuals. The article prevents the formation of decubital ulcers in the heel and ankles of individuals. It is economical to produce. It is easy to clean. If effectively prevents and alleviates discomfort often times experienced by many bed-ridden individuals.